I think you should ask your neighbors if they still have the plant tags for the ones you see growing around you. I think that's probably the most reliable source of information about what will do well for you.

I know that my relatives who work for a large garden center would point you toward Annabelle. But it's not a panicle.

I just bought some soil acidifier too if you want some. I bought it to plant a couple Japanese maples and had to buy more than I'm sure I will ever use.

My husband has Limelight and (I think) a tree pruned version of Pinky Winky in the back yard. The tree hydrangea was just added this year but Limelight grows like gangbusters and blooms well every year. It is in a weird spot, near a retaining wall so it probably gets some protection from winds but it's at the southwest edge of the yard near the house so it's shaded most of the morning. Limelight doesn't get a lot of attention here until it's blooming because of the truly MASSIVE ninebark he has directly opposite of it--it's the shrub that will eventually eat Elizabeth (the town, hopefully not me.....).

Thank you, Liz and popmama! I think panicle hydrangeas work better in the sunny spot than Annabelle. I do love them all though! I stopped by O'Tooles today. They only had one lime light left but had several pinky winkies. The images of tree formed pinky Winnie's look amazing!! Now.... I have to decide whether to plant them this year. It's a lot of digging! :)

I got one limelight to replace an evergreen that i do not love. I am pretty excited. If it does well, I will get more next year. I am also debating to replace another spot where I have a monster-like Russian Sage that seeds all over mine and my neighbor's yard. Let's hope this one does well!

They are extremely hardy hydrangeas (z3) and any variety should work well for you. I would suggest you buy according to mature size - some can get very big - and the flower coloring you prefer, as it varies. And be prepared to water frequently if sited in a lot of sun.

I have an oakleaf hydrangea that finally got its legs and is looking amazing! The colors in the fall foliage are almost better than the flowers. Can't remember whether I have 'Snow Queen' or 'Alice', though...they do have morning sun and afternoon shade which is usually where they're happiest.

"Limelight" struggled for years (would not grow but would not die) until I took pity on it and put it out of its misery with my trusty shovel. :D

"would not grow but would not die". That was my experience with Endless Summer. Darn thing. For years I kept saying I was just going to end it. But I just couldn't do it. I finally dug it up this year and gave it to my mom. It actually leafed out well at her house, but no blooms so far.

I just bought her a Pinky Winky. I will be interested to see if it blooms for her.

I ended up buying three Pinky Winky and one Limelight last year. All of them have tons of buds which look super cute to me. I am hoping they will bloom well!

Here is a picture of my Limelight Hydrangea. I am really happy with it and cannot wait to see the blooms turn pink as they age.

That looks great! I always admire those at the garden center but have been afraid to try them, figuring they wouldn't take the heat or would require too much water.

I think they do require a lot of water the first year but they sure are able to take a lot of heat and are super hardy.

I don't know that I would call them "super hardy". They are beautiful but I know a lot of people who have tried them here and failed. I would describe them as somewhat finicky. But they are beautiful and yours have done very well. I like to visit them!

Not finicky at all!! They are by far the most sun and heat tolerant of the hydrangea species and also extremely cold tolerant. But like any hydrangea, they are thirsty plants and do not have much tolerance at all for drought. Keep them properly watered and they should do fine.

Here is one of the Pinky Winky Hydrangeas I planted last year. Love the blooms. Hopefully they turn into pretty and showy burgundy soon.

Update! All the Limelight and Pinky Winkys are doing super well. My Pinky Winkys are in full sun. I just bought three Firelight And would like to plant them in full sun. Any concerns from any of you? Thanks!

Didn't Laura from Garden Answer plant some in full sun last year? Her climate is very close to ours so probably a good indicator. I think the only concern will be they may need quite a bit of extra water to acclimate.

Thanks Popmama.

Yes, she did. I am being extra careful as I have been waiting for three years before i was able to find them at a local nursery. In addition, I have to beg my husband to dig huge holes for me. He may not be amused if I ask him to move them later. Haha.

Here are some updated photos:

Limelight in part sun

Huge blooms on them:

Have you heard that PW is introducing a new Limelight Prime Hydrangea?

No, I didn’t until today. I looked it up and it looks like the stems are stronger than Limelight which is nice. The stems do get stronger over the years. I have not had issues with them flopping but I did hear someone stating that they do. There are many new panicle hydrangeas each year. I hear about Firelight Tidbit, Quick Fire Fab and now Limelight Prime. I first heard of Firelight in 2018 but couldn’t find them in local nurseries until this year. I’m assuming it may be similar for the other new ones. I might make more room later for the new ones when they become available here. I just love them and look forward to enjoying their blooms every year.